Defibration of textile plants



April 15, 1941.

L. S. UNZUETA DEFIBRATION 0F TEXTILE PLANTS Filed Nov. 2, 19:59

RUBBER ROLLER RUBBER ROLLERS Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Lucio 2:22: 5123:: i iit ii sfii Application November 2, 1939, Serial No. 302,617

. In Spain July 20, 1938.

8 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved process, for the defibration of textileplants in a tender state, or in other words of green plants, this operation being efiected dry, and without the necessity for subjecting the plants to moist treatments, which are always troublesome and of long duration.

This process enables the fibers to be extracted from all kinds of soft and tender plants that containthe fibers in their leaves, that is to say, it is especially applicable in a general way to all kinds of agaves, chieflyhenequen, sisal, banana, abaca, (Manila hemp), Sansevieria (bow-string hemp) cylindricaland plane, pineapple and the like.

The process according to this invention consists essentially in subjecting the part of the plants that contains the fibers, namely the leaves or the stem, suitably peeled, to a crushing operation and a transverse cutting of the parenchyme, by passing it between pairs of fluted rollers, and subsequently, while the material is still held by these rollers, subjecting the main or upper side to a combing or hackling action in a longitudinal direction, by means of a roller provided with teeth or hacklingpins, and finally, the material is subjected to a complete de-pulping, which takes place first upon one of the sides and afterwards upon thepther side, this object being eifected by means of rollers provided with rubbing of indiarubber or other comparatively soft surface, that is to say, while the material is being subjected on one of its sides to the aforementioned operations, it is supported with a certain elasticity, which enables all parts of the material to be worked under the most satisfactory conditions.

The de-pulping is effected by means of sets of de-pulping rollers, each set consisting of one cylinder of indiarubber or other resilient material, and a. roller. provided with hackle pins or rubbing elements, these two sets of de-pulping rollersbeingso arranged that the second set is inverted in relation to the first, so that first one side of. the-material and then the other may be treated. Furthermore, the second de-pulping setis arranged out of alignment with and at an inclination with respect to the preceding pairs of rollers, in order that the material may undergo achange of direction in passing through the de-pulping cylinders, and that the pulp pulled out may be able to be expelled from the machine without disturbing the functioning of the suc ceeding parts.

A machine for de-fibrating textile plants by the process according to the present invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in side elevation in the accompanying drawing. This machine comprises in the first place two pairs of fluted rollers A and A, between which the leaves or the like are introduced in their longitudinal direction, by being fed forward from a table Ill. The fleshy or pulpy Part of the material is broken and cracked transversely in passing between these rollers. The material then advances supported against indiarubber rollers C, C and C", and preferably receives the action, on themorefleshy side, of a combing or hackling roller B provided with teeth or hackle pins, which completes the trituration of the pulp in a longitudinal direction, and at the same time maintains the direction and parallelism of the fibers.

Two de-pulping rollers D and D are provided with hackling pins, or rubbing or rasping elements, for the purpose of pulling the pulp out of the material, these rollers acting only upon one side of the material, while the other side of the latter bears against one of the indiarubber rollers C or C".

The second de-pulping set, comprising the roller D' and the indiarubber roller C, is in an inverted position as compared with the first set, and is also displaced downwards, so that the material undergoes a change of direction in passing from the first de-pulping set to the second,

and also passes between the two indiarubber rollers C and C". The pulp pulled out by the roller D is thrown out of the machine without disturbing the operation of the succeeding elements. The material is then treated on its under side by the de-pulping roller D, and after undergoing another change of direction it is passed between guiding rollers F, which separate it from the de-pulping means, in order that the pulp that has been pulled out may be freely expelled. With this object in view the second de-pulping set may preferably be arranged in an oblique direction, that is to say, the plane containing the axes of the rollers D and C" is at an inclination to the plane containing the axes of the cylinders D and C of the first de-pulping set.

In the drawing the means for actuating the various rollers have not been illustrated, since any known means may be employed for this purpose, such as gear wheels, chains or any other suitable transmission means.

The resilient supporting rollers determine and fix the speed with which the material advances in order that it may be subjected separately to 'the combing and de-pulping operations, which preparing them for subsequent operations. During the combing a considerable part of the crushed pulp is stripped or loosened.

The de-pulping, as has already been stated, is

effected separately, on each side of the material, that is to say, the material is first de-pulped on one side and then undergoes the same operation on the opposite side.

In order to effect, the de-pulping there may preferably be employed rollers provided longitudinally with sheets of flexible steel and mounted with a certain amount of play, the peripheral speed of these rollers being greater than the speed of advance of the material. The material is also supported upon rollers having a soft surface, so that at all times the irregularities in the thickness or distribution of the fibers are easily compensated for.-

In such an arrangement the fibers are not subjected to sudden forces or to excessive tensions, and plants of delicate fiber can be treated by the process according rto this invention.

If desired, after the de-pulping of the first side of the material, the operation may be completed by subjecting the material to, a mechanical cleaning. This is effected by means of a roller provided with radial blades, which, in revolving, rub the surface of the material, but, in general, this operation may be omitted, since the fibers remain perfectly clean upon leaving the tie-pulping rollers. g I V The final de-pulping on the side opposite to that previously treated, leaves the fibers completely cleanand ready for packing.

This method provides the advantage that the treatment is effected upon green stems, employing for this purpose mechanical appliances, which are of small size and easy to transport, and which can be installed at the plantation itself, or where- I ever the plants are produced. Hence the defibration can be effected immediately after the harvesting of the plants thus obviating troublesome transportation, since only the useful fiber has to be transported away from the place of origin.

WhatI claim is: i

1.. Apparatus for the defibration in a green state of textile plants which-contain the fibers in the leaves or inthe soft part of the stem, comprising fluted crushing rollers between which the fiber-containing plant portions pass in a longitudinal direction,rat least two sets of de-pulpin rollers, each set consisting of one roller having a resilient, surface and one de-pulping roller, one

de-pulping set having the de-pulpiing roller above the resilient roller and the other de-pulping set having the de-pulping roller below the resilient roller, and the second de-pulping set being out of alignment with the first ole-pulping set sothat the material under treatment under-goes a change of direction in passing from the first set to the second.

. 2. Apparatus for they defibration in a green state of textile plants which oontainthe fibers in the leaves or in the soft part of the stern, comthe second de-pulping set being inclined to the plane containing the axes of the two rollers of the first de-pulping set so that the material under treatment undergoes a change of direction in passing from the first set to the second.

3. Apparatus for the defibration in a green state of textile plants which contain the fibers in the leaves or in the soft part of the stem, comprising fiuted crushing rollers between which the fiber-containing plant portions pass in a longitudinal direction, at least two sets of de-pulping rollers, each set consisting of one roller having a resilient surface and one de-pulping roller, one de-pulping set having the de-pulping roller above the resilient roller and the other de-pulping set having the de-pulping roller below the resilient roller, and a pair of guiding rollers of relatively small diameter and of resilient surface for removing the fibers that have been de-pulped.

4. Apparatus for the defibration in a green state of textile plants which contain the fibers in the leaves or in the soft part of the stem, comprising fluted crushing rollers between which the fiber-containing plant portions pass in a longitudinal-direction, at least two sets of depulping rollers, each set consisting of one roller having a resilient surface and one de-pulping roller, one de-pulping set having the de-pulping roller above the resilient roller and the other depulping set having the depulping roller below the resilient roller, the second de-pulping set being out of alignment with the first de-pulping set, the plane containing the axes of the two rollers 'of the second de-pulping set being inclined to the plane containing the axes of the two rollers of the first de-pulping set so that the material under treatment undergoes a change of direction in passing from the first set to the second, a pair of guiding rollers for removing the fibers that have been de-pulped, and the plane containing the axes of the guiding rollers being inclined to the plane containing the axes of the rollers'of the second de-pulping set so that the material under treatment undergoes a change of direction in passing from the de-pulping roller of the second de-pulping set to the guiding rollers.

5. Apparatus for the defibration in a green state of textile plants which contain the fibers in the leaves or in the soft part of the stem, comprising fluted crushing rollers between which the fiber-containing plant portions pass in a longitudinal direction, combing rollers between which the plant portions pass after leaving the crushing rollers, at least two sets of depulping rollers, each set consisting of one roller having a resilient surface and one de-pulping roller, and one de-pulping set having the de-pulping roller above the resilient roller. and the other de-pulping set having the de-pulping roller below the resilient roller.

6. A method of defibrating green textile plants which contain fibers in the leaves or in the soft part of the stem which comprises, crushing and cutting the material transversely of the fibers thereof, combing the material, removing the pulp from one side of the plant portions while the material is supported on the other side, removing the pulp from the other side of the plant portions while supporting the first mentioned side, and subjecting the material to a change of direction after the first pulp removing operation.

7. A method of deflbrating green textile plants which contain fibers in the leaves or in the soft part of the stem which comprises, crushing and cutting the material transversely of the fibers thereof, combing the material, pulling pulp from other side of the plant portions while resiliently supporting the first mentioned side, subjecting the material to a change of direction after each pulp-pulling operation, and separating the pulp from the plant portions.

8. A method of defibrating green textile plants which contain fibers in the leaves or in the soft part of the stem which comprises, crushing the plants, combing the crushed plants, removing pulp from one side of the plant parts while supporting the other side, removing pulp from the other side of the plant portions while supporting the first mentioned side, and bending the plants to change the direction between the pulp-removone side of the plant portions while resiliently 15 ing operations. supporting the other side, pulling pulp from the LUCIO SUINAGA UNZUETA. 

